SAN ANTONIO – Texas Rangers believe Camp Mystic leaders “recklessly caused the death” of the 25 campers and two counselors who died during the July 4, 2025 floods, according to search warrants obtained by KSAT on Tuesday.
Manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, abandoning or endangering a child, injury to a child, and deadly conduct, are some of the crimes the warrants accuse camp leaders of committing.
“These offenses were committed against child campers -- including both deceased victims and surviving campers of the flood event-- under an operator’s duty of care,” Texas Ranger investigator Brant Johnston wrote in the documents.
The warrants would allow Texas Rangers to search electronic records to help investigators figure out what camp leaders and employees knew and did before, during, and after the deadly flood. The 14 warrants are for:
- Richard “Dick” Eastland
- Willetta “Tweety” Eastland
- Edward Eastland
- Britt Eastland
- Richard Eastland Jr.
- Mary Liz Eastland
- Catie Eastland
- Glenn Juenke, nightwatchman
- Rachel Farhoudi, senior counselor
- Lauren Bass, photographer
- Jane Charpentier, office assistant
- Katarzyna Kruk, seasonal worker From Poland
- Kalina Krol, seasonal worker From Poland
- Joanna Schwarz, seasonal worker From Poland
The New York Times was the first to report on the warrants, which were signed last week.
Back in the spring, the Texas Rangers told KSAT they’re assisting the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) in the investigation into Camp Mystic.
At the time, Camp Mystic planned to reopen for the 2026 summer camp season, records show. That decision was later scrapped.
According to the affidavits, several members of the Eastland family declined to be interviewed by investigators.
The documents reveal new details about what happened during the deadly flooding, which also swept away longtime camp owner Dick Eastland.
Dick Eastland’s watch data shows he “was submerged in over twenty feet of water” just before 4 a.m on July 4, 2025, according to the court records.
His son, Richard Eastland Jr., woke up early that morning. Records show he had trouble falling asleep after his wife texted him to let him know that their rental home was flooded, but that she was safe. He started to work on his computer but realized the internet was out.
“Richard looked at his phone, which warned of dangerous flash flooding, but he was not concerned,” stated the document.
No one has been criminally charged at this time.
Our team is reading through more than 600 pages of court records. We will be updating this story with the details of what we’ve learned.
